1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a clip intended for mounting to a handlebar or the like to guide and inhibit fouling of control cables. More particularly, it is concerned with a guide clip which may be molded into a unitary member and facilitates easy mounting to a handlebar and retention in its desired location by a mounting post positioned generally axially forward of the portion of the swept and arcuate leading edge of an attachment arm which, absent such a swept characteristic, would otherwise be opposite to the mounting post.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One challenge presented in the design of products having a control mechanism positioned remotely from a controllable mechanism such as an engine throttle or clutch is the routing of the control cable connecting the control and the controllable mechanism. Because the control cable is flexible and may need to extend a considerable distance, there is often a need for an intermediate guide positioned between the control and the controllable mechanism. For example, in a walk-behind lawn mower, the mower engine is mounted on a mower deck and the control for the throttle, deadman lever, blade brake or clutch is often positioned on a handlebar within easy reach of the operator. It is often desirable that the guide be mounted on the mower's handlebar intermediate the control and the engine throttle, deadman lever, blade brake, clutch mechanism or the like. Such a guide may serve several functions, but a principal one is to route the cable in such a way that it does not catch or bind on foreign objects as the mower passes, or droop such that it might catch on a wheel or deteriorate if it were to touch a hot engine surface.
In the past, several approaches have been developed to meet the challenge of having an economical, durable and effective cable guide. One such guide is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,822, entitled Support Means for Conduit, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The guide shown therein presents a simple solution for providing intermediate support to a control cable by providing a helical coil of wire which wraps around the sheath of the cable and has a pair of arms for fastening the coil to a structural support such as, for example, a handlebar. While a simple and elegant solution, the coiled wire presents economic challenges when the cable is supplied separately and must be inserted into the coil at a later date.
Another approach to providing a conduit guide is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,654 to Spease entitled Control Cable Mounting System, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As described in this patent, a cable positioning and retaining member is provided with a pair of opposed, arcuate flanges which are designed to extend oppositely from the positioning and retaining member, with a post extending from the positioning and retaining member between the flanges. While this system provides a unitary member for positioning the cable which may be mounted to a handlebar, considerable force may be required to spread the flanges and the hole in the handlebar for receiving the post is not readily visible during the attachment of the system to the handlebar.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,993 entitled Conduit Guide Fitting, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, presents an alternative approach to supporting a control cable. Here, a receiver is provided with a projection which is structured to enter an opening in a handlebar. Rather than fixedly grasping the handlebar, this fitting is designed to permit pivoting during both mounting and as the cable moves during operation.
U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 409, 475 and D425,784 both entitled Conduit Guide Clip and both being incorporated herein by reference, show further cable retaining clips. Each of these design patents show one or a pair of cable receivers positioned at a circumferential, as opposed to axial, end of an arcuate mounting band. A post extends radially inwardly from a location remote from the receivers, and generally at an intermediate location along the band. While the clips shown in these design patents are both useful and attractive, they retain at least some of the disadvantages referenced in regard to the U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,654 patent referenced above.
Thus, there has arisen a need for an improved cable guide clip. It is a goal of the present invention to provide a guide clip which is relatively rigidly mountable on a handlebar. Preferably, such a guide clip would resist movement relative to the handlebar such as shifting axially along the handlebar or rotation relative to the handlebar. It is another goal of the present invention to provide a guide clip which may be molded into a unitary member and is economical both to manufacture and install. It is a further goal to provide a durable conduit guide clip which may be more readily installed on a handlebar by the installer with less force.